February 19, 2011

The Minister of Defense "wrote" his Ph.D. thesis in a time span of 7 years, while raising up his children, working at the Senate and leading his busy social life with his barbie-wife (the sort of fantasies which Putin fancies). Is it possible to do that? If you have done a serious dissertation, you know it is impossible. So, he must had hired some ghostwriter.

The funny thing is that that guy either wanted to fuck him up or was bored or asked somebody else to do the job. And with the magical help of copy&paste they managed to sort out information and put it together and Guttenberg got his degree. He obviously does not deserve it, nor his ghostwriter.

The stupid thing is that this sort of idiots are damaging the effort put by us, normal people without barbie-girls, noble titles, "amazing" careers, false smiles who have been working hard on our dissertations.

In Germany, if you use a Dr. title not having it, it is a criminal offense which might lead you to jail. Hopefully some justice is going to be given to this cheater.

2

In Dresden it is allowed to organize demonstrations, even if you are a Neonazi. You name it, do the bureaucracy, and the police will even escort you. What is forbidden though is to impede an official demonstration.

So, last weekend, Neonazis tried to demonstrate in Dresden to "commemorate" the bombardments by the Allies (Sebald's reflection on this issue is a must!). And, of course, people (mostly extreme-leftists, but not only) went out to complain. And they were kicked by the police, violence escalated, the demonstration was postponed to this weekend, and this weekend it got just worse with the police spreading water in the worst moment of the winter and the antinazis burning up barricades. Ironically, the Neonazis behave peacefully.

Sometimes, democracy sucks! (But Germans have thought about it in advance, as always, and they draw a difference between Gerechtigkeit and Justiz).

3

Which reminds me of the Berlin Wall memorial I have to pass in front of every time when I go to the library. It is a sign of tyranny and oppression, but in order to maintain the historic conscience, it has been undergoing a very long and careful restoration.

Isn't it spooky? Concentration camps must be restored as well. It makes sense if you analyze it in cold blood, but it shakes me every time I see the works going on taking care of the Wall.

4

The Berlinale is finishing tomorrow. The media, dull as it is, focused on "hot news", as for instance Madonna attending the Berlinale or "True Grit", by the Coen brothers. R met by chance Madonna in a club, and danced next to her (not really with her, since she was with her guy), and the only thing he could tell me is how bad she looks without Photoshop & Co.

I did not like "True Grit" (way to slow, unreal character, but given, great actors). My favorite movies by far were "King's Speech" and "Dernier étage gauche gauche", a great French comedy about the Arab (but it could had been African) immigration to Paris, perfect for these days.